Tag Archives: theatre royal

Review: Frankenstein (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), 28 Sep – 13 Oct, 2024
Playwright: Nelle Lee (from the novel by Mary Shelley)
Director: Nick Skubij
Cast: Darcy Brown, Tony Cogin, Nick James, Anna Lise Phillips, Jeremiah Wray, Chloé Zuel
Images by Joel Devereux

Theatre review
It is with the most obsessive passion, that the scientist sets out to build his creature. It seems Mary Shelley had intuited that technology would simply march forward, whether the consequences are good or bad. Nelle Lee’s adaptation of Frankenstein provides a rich narrative, for an eventful piece of theatre. Unlike the original, it tends not to inspire much philosophical rumination, but there is certainly a lot of room for drama and spectacle.

Dynamic direction by Nick Skubij’s aims to provide a thrilling experience, and the production is indeed impressive with its unrelenting kineticism. It however neglects our need for emotional involvement until late in the piece, and when we begin to feel for the story,  it may be too little, too late.

Ambitious set design by Josh McIntosh keeps our senses enthralled, with Craig Wilkinson’s intensive video projections sometimes adding to the extravagance, but at other times making things look less than elegant. McIntosh’s work on costumes proves accomplished, and along with makeup by Steven Boyle, especially memorable for their combined rendering of the notorious Frankensteinian creature. Lights by Trent Suidgeest are striking, with a consistent flamboyance that really dazzles. Sounds and music by Guy Webster are wonderfully grand, always imbued with a sense of opulence that greatly enhances the show.

Actor Darcy Brown plays a very eccentric Victor Frankenstein, perhaps slightly too unrestrained on occasion, but nonetheless marvellous with the intensity being delivered. Jeremiah Wray is remarkable as the creature, astonishing with the physicality he brings to the role, and disarming with the sentimentality he delivers quite unsuspectingly, just when we begin to tire of the inexorable theatrical hullabaloo.

There is a karmic lesson fundamental to the meanings of Frankenstein; it appears that monsters can only be created by other monsters. It may also seem that monstrous behaviour can be unintentional, although it is infinitely more human, to cling to the belief that it is our resolve that means everything, that we must endeavour to do good, and that our vigilance is key to thwarting destructive aspects of our nature. 

www.frankensteinlive.com.au

Review: The Woman In Black (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), 30 Jul – 17 Aug, 2024
Playwright: Stephen Mallatratt (from the novel by Susan Hill)
Director: Robin Herford
Cast: Daniel MacPherson, John Waters
Images by Justin Nicholas

Theatre review
Junior solicitor Arthur Kipps has been summoned to a small town in the northeast of England, where he is to attend the funeral of a Mrs. Alice Drablow and settle her estate. There are very strange goings-on, and even though Arthur turns certain that a ghost haunts the mansion, he is drawn deep into its enigma, instead of choosing to leave at the first instance. Like Susan Hill’s novel The Woman in Black on which it is based, Stephen Mallatratt’s stage version of the same name, involves elements of horror to have us seduced and gripped.

Clever direction by Robin Herford has ensured the production’s longevity, having played continuously at venues around the world since its inception in 1987. Lights by Kevin Sleep and sounds by Sebastian Frost are masterfully designed, to manufacture  thrills and intrigue, in a staging memorable for the frights it so successfully delivers. Performances by John Waters and Daniel MacPherson are highly compelling, both actors innovative and adventurous, with a charming humour that keeps us simultaneously enthralled and revulsed.

Arthur is not the only person to be drawn to danger. As we see him brave the terrifying corridors of Eel Marsh House, we are initially confounded by his voluntary decision to send himself into jeopardy, but we also understand the nature of curiosity, and how our instincts can be easily lured by the promise of high stakes, precarious as it might be. Arthur really should have called it quits the moment he sensed that something was wrong, but his nature simply could not resist testing fate.

www.thewomaninblack.com.au

Review: The Odd Couple (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), 27 Jun – 28 Jul, 2024
Playwright: Neil Simon
Director: Mark Kilmurry
Cast: John Batchelor, Laurence Coy, Lucy Durack, Shane Jacobson, Todd McKenney, Penny McNamee Jamie Oxenbould, Anthony Taufa
Images by Pia Johnson

Theatre review
Felix and Oscar are living together, because both have recently divorced their wives. Although best friends, their personalities are wildly divergent and therefore  do not make the most compatible of housemates. Neil Simon’s 60-year-old play delivers nostalgia in spades, but The Odd Couple has clearly lost its relevance decades ago. Many will nonetheless find the humour appealing, within a presentational style that straddles between something charmingly classic and regrettably outmoded.

Direction by Mark Kilmurry remains faithful, to memories of 1960s New York. It is a slick production (on an attractive set design by Justin Nardella), with precise timing that ensures we know exactly where the laughs are situated. Actor Shane Jacobson is very strong with the comedy, never missing an opportunity to expand on Simon’s humour, in the role of the carefree Oscar. On the other hand, his counterpart Todd McKenney is perhaps not entirely convincing as the uptight Felix, but commendable for bringing a consistent verve to his performance. Lucy Durack and Penny McNamee are noteworthy as the Pigeon sisters, an inventive pair demonstrating remarkable capacity for enriching some perhaps more ordinary characters.

Theatre will always explore the silliness of being human. What is silly changes constantly however, just as what we feel to be funny rarely stays the same. When revisiting old comedies, we can discover how we have evolved, and be able to identify shifts in culture that reflect the transformations of values and attitudes. In The Odd Couple, we can see some aspects of life that have gone through dramatic metamorphosis, alongside others that have scarcely altered. Humanity is unlikely to ever become anything resembling pristine, but we certainly cannot help but try tirelessly to be better.

www.theoddcoupleplay.com.au

Review: Death Of A Salesman (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), 17 May – 23 Jun, 2024
Playwright: Arthur Miller
Director: Neil Armfield
Cast: Aisha Aidara, Paula Arundell, Elizabeth Blackmore, Marco Chiappi, Josh Helman, Anthony Lapaglia, Simon Maiden, Ben O’Toole, Anthony Phelan, Grant Piro, Tom Stokes, Alison Whyte
Images by Jeff Busby

Theatre review
Willy Loman wants his son Biff to follow in his footsteps and take the conventional road to success, even though that journey has led Willy to great misery and discontent. It was 1949 when Arthur Miller premiered his seminal work Death of a Salesman, and all these decades later, it seems we are still persisting with Willy’s failed values and practices. The masterpiece may not have revolutionised the way we live our lives, but its resonances continue to ring powerful and true, even as we step into yet another new age of capitalism.

Technology is fast replacing humans in all manner of occupations, yet we have not discovered new methods of survival other than that which relies on the commodification of labour. People now acquiesce to paying for services provided by the very AI that are eradicating our jobs, such is the tenacity of our Willy-esque beliefs. There is no guarantee that artists are immune from that trend of substitution, but ample evidence suggests that humans will continue to make art, regardless of the form our economies might take.

Director Neil Armfield is the calibre of artist, that one would hope continues with his vocation for years to come, even in the unimaginable circumstance of our theatre industries being taken away by machines. For Death of a Salesman, Armfield has created a staging that feels surprisingly minimal in terms of its aesthetics, yet is full of tenderness, and able to illustrate meaningfully, the point of Miller’s writing.

Leading man Anthony Lapaglia is thoroughly vulnerable as Willy, almost painfully so. His portrayals of a man who has all but lost his spirit, is perhaps too realistic, as we see the actor struggling to bring vigour and focus to the performance. Other members of cast are fortunately stronger. Alison Whyte positively shines, whenever Linda is allowed to speak. Biff’s multitudes of frustrations are made completely convincing by a highly emotional Josh Helman. An unmistakably intense Ben O’Toole plays the other son Happy, with much needed verve to keep us attentive, to the intricate weaving of details in the Loman family tale.

Set design by Dale Ferguson takes us to the distressed and archaic bleachers of Ebbets Field, for a visual representation of Willy’s beliefs. Costumes by Ferguson with Sophie Woodward depict with meticulous accuracy, American city life at the middle of the twentieth century. Lights by Niklas Pajanti are elegantly rendered, with an unrelenting melancholy that keeps us attuned to all the despair being conveyed. Sound and music by David Tonion are beautifully composed, emphasising a sense of regret in the storytelling, leaving us ambiguous about whether we can do better for ourselves, than what was destined for the Lomans.

www.salesmanaustralia.com.au

Review: The Lehman Trilogy (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), 26 Feb – 24 Mar, 2024
Playwright: Stefano Massini (adapted by Ben Power)
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Aaron Krohn, Howard W. Overshown, Adrian Schiller
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
It was 1844 when Henry Lehman first arrived in Alabama from Rimpar in Germany. His American Dream began with the provision of fabrics and suits, but with his two brothers joining ranks in the following decade, their family business quickly ceases being about the supply of goods, to become something much more ephemeral, obscure and spurious.

Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy chronicles the rise and fall of a notorious financial institution, telling the story of Lehman Brothers as an organisation exemplifying modern capitalism. Voracious with its profit motive, but ethically anaemic and bereft of social responsibility, the Lehman legacy is one of rapacious greed, bolstered by a system that believes in individual success over all else. Although concerned with the trials and tribulations of a single entity, The Lehman Trilogy is revelatory of the way our values have evolved universally. We see ambition become greed, and greed becoming the key destructive force that has made life unbearable for the vast majority of the planet’s inhabitants.

These profound resonances are conveyed through Sam Mendes’ splendid direction of a theatrical experience unforgettable for its expansive vision and fast-paced kineticism, generated from a piece of writing that could easily be considered dry and inert. Set design by Es Devlin features a glass encasement on a revolve, evoking handsome but generic corporate spaces. In tandem with sensational video work by Luke Halls magnificently projected on a curved cyclorama, the production proves an unexpected visual treat, as the narrative escalates from Antebellum greyness, to the manic high-definition technophilia so characteristic of contemporary existence.

Costumes by Katrina Lindsay are appropriately nostalgic, and remarkable for the range of movement they allow, in view of the rigidity of 19th century styles. Jon Clark’s lights provide clear demarcations to help us shift sensibilities across interminable scene changes. Sound design by Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey envelopes us in the increasing vigour of the storytelling, with the inclusion of live piano accompaniment by Cat Beveridge representing the immaculate attention to detail, delivered for all elements of the staging.

An extraordinary cast of three takes us through the 164-year saga, each actor deeply compelling, and as a team, simply flawless. Adrian Schiller’s uncanny ability to communicate nuance, is a marvel to witness, and a real gift for a show that can sometimes move too fast. Aaron Krohn brings exceptional agility, physically and otherwise, to the widely varying roles that he so perfectly embodies. Howard W. Overshown’s effortless gravitas reminds us of the nature of power, in a narrative that is almost always about exploitation and abuse.

Lehman Brothers no longer exists as a functioning enterprise, but its demise does not mean an end to the predatory and mercenary qualities of how we have come to arrange our collective lives. In fact, the intensified concentration of money and power, as we so clearly observe in 2024, only points to an exacerbation of those depravities. As a work of art, we may be moved to regard The Lehman Trilogy as a cautionary tale, but it seems the machine has grown so ubiquitous and all-encompassing, that any effort to rage against it, can only ever feel futile.

www.thelehmantrilogy.com

Review: Tina (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), from May 2023
Book: Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, Kees Prins
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Cast: Cayden Dosoruth, Blake Erickson, Jayme-Lee Hanekon, Ilbinabo Jack, Amara Kavaliku, Abu Kebe, Rishab Kern, Nadia Komazec, Jenni Little, David Mairs, Ruva Ngwenya, Emily Nkomo, Camile Nko’o, Tim Omaji, John O’Hara, Matthew Prime, Tendai Rinomhota, Rebecca Selley, Tigist Strode, Augie Tchantcho, Mat Verevis
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Rock star Tina Turner’s triumph over hardship, during her earlier years, is a story that has defined her entire public persona. Indeed, many have identified that legendary emergence from tragedy, to be a real  source of inspiration, and it is that period of her life we revisit in the 2018 musical Tina.

Comprised of songs from Turner’s multi-decade career, the show is never short of nostalgia, many of which are likely to deliver moments of sheer transcendence. The plot however, does not prove to be quite as gripping, with a book that although preserves a sense of integrity for Turner’s narrative, can feel somewhat theatrically lacklustre.

Fortunately, the production breaks into song often enough, and with Ruva Ngwenya in the lead role, providing near flawless performances of musical numbers, the experience is made worthwhile. Ike Turner is played by Tim Omaji who brings extraordinary charisma to a perhaps undeserving character, but nonetheless delivers confidently to leave us impressed and entertained.

Tina might be strangely unmoving as a dramatic production, but there is no denying the power of Turner’s legacy, along with the collective memory and immeasurable goodwill that surrounds her. All we want is to see her in all her glory, and in these effervescent re-enactments of moments from a brilliant woman’s life, we are able to witness up close and personal, the best of a star truly loved.

www.tinathemusical.com.au

Review: Rocky Horror Show (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), Feb 14 – Apr 1, 2023
Music, lyrics and book: Richard O’Brien
Director: Chris Luscombe
Cast: Ellis Dolan, Jason Donovan, Darcey Eagle, Ethan Jones, Deidre Khoo, Loredo Malcolm, Stellar Perry, Henry Rollo, Myf Warhurst

Theatre review
Half a century after its inception, the only thing shocking about Rocky Horror Show is in the realisation, that the word “transvestite” is now beginning to sound archaic. Frank-N-Furter’s ambiguous gender expressions are now, unbelievable as it may seem, a normalised phenomenon in many cities, so the iconic figure is no longer the ironic abomination it once was. Their power however, remains resolutely intact, and it is that sense of dominion they exude, that keeps the show a thrilling experience.

This latest rendition by director Chris Luscombe, seems quite incredibly, to be even more energetic and exuberant than ever before. The show’s celebratory qualities appear to really resonate, in this new age of queerness and trans-inclusiveness; the Rocky Horror Show may not have changed as much as we have, but that is perhaps the reason for its renewed allure. We are looking at the show with fresh eyes, and discovering that it still makes sense for the Twenty-First Century, albeit in differently nuanced ways.

Times have changed. 30 years ago, Jason Donovan was accused by the queer community for homophobia, following his legal action against a publication for false claims about his sexuality. Today, Donovan is an excellent Frank-N-Furter, completely at ease with the camp and salacious aspects of the role, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the part’s efficaciousness. He pushes to the limit, right where the bawdy, brash and crass, is about to become too much, and lets us off the hook, so that he can take us further the next time.

The narrator is played by Myf Warhurst, much less seasoned as a musical performer, but clearly a charming celebrity, happy in her own skin and comfortable with public adoration. Deidre Khoo and Ethan Jones are sensational as Janet and Brad, both fantastically versatile, and captivating with their sardonic characterisations and exquisite timing. Also memorable, are Stellar Perry and Henry Rollo, as Usherette/Magenta and Riff Raff respectively, delivering all the electrifying subversive joy associated with the legendary Rocky Horror Show. Also noteworthy is musical direction by Jack Earle, who injects extraordinary spiritedness, into a production that leaves us wanting more.

In 2023, it is Janet and Brad who look more alien than anyone else, on the Rocky Horror stage. What creator Richard O’Brien had identified in 1973 as ordinary but repugnant, is now simply bizarre. The puritanical values represented by the couple, and the hypocrisy they embody, although still prevalent in certain circles, are no longer the norm it used to be. People need to be allowed to diverge in whatever ways suit them, as long as nobody gets hurt, and as long as we know to give ourselves over to “absolute pleasure” from time to time.

www.rockyhorror.com.au

Review: The Mousetrap (Theatre Royal Sydney)

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Venue: Theatre Royal Sydney (Sydney NSW), 8 – 30 Oct, 2023
Writer: Agatha Christie
Director: Robyn Nevin
Cast: Laurence Boxhall, Gerry Connolly, Tom Conroy, Charlotte Friels, Adam Murphy, Anna O’Byrne, Alex Rathgeber, Geraldine Turner
Images by Brian Geach

Theatre review
Since opening in 1952, Agatha Christie’s classic whodunnit The Mousetrap has been entertaining audiences in London, as the now famously known longest-running show of the West End. In a guesthouse named Monkswell Manor, a resident gets murdered, and we try to solve the mystery. Christie’s stories can be easily dismissed as generic or repetitive, “seen one, seen them all” but her immense popularity has never waned, proving there is a certain magic to her work.

Directed by Robyn Nevin, this is a new but faithful rendering of the 70 year-old play, in the definitive style of an Agatha Christie show. Traditional and completely predictable, but nonetheless entertaining, The Mousetrap delivers everything adored by legions of Christie fans. There is mystery, gentle thrills , characteristic humour, and old world elegance (thanks to Isabelle Hudson’s production design and Trudy Dalgleish’s lights). One could hardly care if the concluding revelation, turns out to be no surprise at all.

It is a lively cast that takes the stage, with actors fully embracing the jaunty old English tone of performance. Anna O’Byrne is highly convincing as owner of the house Mollie Ralston, perfectly mimicking the voice and physicality of leading women from that bygone era. Laurence Boxhall leaves a remarkable impression as Christopher Wren; very funny and very charming, with one of the more inventive approaches for material that is arguably outdated. Also compelling is Tom Conroy as Detective Sergeant Trotter, who brings great precision and a much needed sense of variation to the role.

Where The Mousetrap is unable to provide a refreshing experience, it delivers a level of polish and professionalism, that shines a light, on the dedication and competency of our artists. The writer might be the star, but there is no denying all the unsung heroes who keep her name eternally in lights.

www.themousetrap.com.au

Review: An American In Paris (Theatre Royal Sydney)

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Venue: Theatre Royal Sydney (Sydney NSW), 29 Apr – 12 Jun, 2022
Book: Craig Lucas (inspired by the Motion Picture)
Music & Lyrics: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Director: Christopher Wheeldon
Cast: Leanne Cope, Robbie Fairchild, Jonathan Hickey, Ashleigh Rubenach, Sam Ward, David Whitney, Anne Wood
Images by Darren Thomas

Theatre review
Jerry is a World War II veteran, experiencing art and love in a foreign land, a few short years after arms have been laid down. More than ever before, freedom seems a phenomenon not to be taken for granted. The stage musical An American in Paris is based on the legendary 1951 Vincente Minnelli film of the same name, known for its visual splendour and inventive use of music by the Gershwin brothers. This adaptation, although replete with nostalgia, is tailored for a more contemporary sensibility. Beautifully positioned between past and present, it connects us with the genius of a bygone era, delivering divine inspiration to a generation at risk of losing artistic treasures that had been gifted decades before.

Gene Kelly’s original choreography is transposed to perfection by Christopher Wheeldon, whose re-creation of mid-century modern ballet proves to be nothing short of sublime. Spellbindingly performed by a cast that is at once whimsical yet disciplined, the audience is impressed and dumbfounded, capable only to gawk and lose ourselves in the theatrical magic being presented. Robbie Fairchild and Leanne Cope are the leads, individually swoonsome but as a pair, their extraordinary synchronicity is flabbergasting, in a series of breathtaking pas de deux that are simply unforgettable.

Gershwin’s iconic score is given wonderful revitalisation by Rob Fisher, who provides for the production a taut rendition of familiar evergreen melodies. Musical direction by Vanessa Scammell is dynamic and spirited, interpreted by a fastidious orchestra that moves us to spaces rarefied and hopelessly romantic. Visual design aspects are somewhat restrained, and not particularly lavish, but sonic dimensions of An American in Paris induce a sense of grandeur that insists on our luxuriation.

The danger of nostalgia is its inherent denial of negative aspects, in our wilful idealisation of the past. Longing for a history that never really existed, undermines the progress that time has achieved. When we say that things used to be better, we imply a rejection of improvements that have been made, and that continue to be made. The fact is, so much of what he have today, is better than how they used to be. In stolen moments however, lingering briefly in fantasies of a different world, is a respite all humans require.

www.americaninparis.com.au

Review: Girl From The North Country (Theatre Royal Sydney)

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Venue: Theatre Royal Sydney (Sydney NSW), 6 Jan – 27 Feb, 2022
Book: Conor McPherson
Music & Lyrics: Bob Dylan
Director: Conor McPherson
Cast: Tony Black, Peter Carroll, Tony Cogin, Laurence Coy, Terence Crawford, Helen Dallimore, Blake Erickson, Callum Francis, Elizabeth Hay, Peter Kowitz, Lisa McCune, Samantha Morley, Zahra Newman, Christina O’Neill, Grant Piro, James Smith, Greg Stone, Chemon Theys, Liam Wigney
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Characters of Girl from the North Country weave in and out of a Minnesota house, in 1934 when the Great Depression was in full force. Their stories are written by Conor McPherson, whose flair for sentimental nostalgia is put to good use, in this musical set to the songs of Bob Dylan. A kind of specific Americanness, found in its themes as well as in its style, might make the show feel somewhat distant to Australian sensibilities, but a transcendent beauty so present in all its creative considerations, almost bridges that cultural gap.

Although not always engaging, the work is certainly transportative. Directed by McPherson, Girl from the North Country takes us to another time and place, with a level of elegance rarely seen on our musical theatre stages. Mark Henderson’s lighting design, in collaboration with Rae Smith’s sets and costumes, offer up lush vistas that meld so wonderfully with musical director Andrew Ross’ reworking of Dylan’s songs. Lucy Hind’s sensitive choreography too is memorable, in a production that feels so confident yet remarkably understated.

The languid aesthetic is brought to manifestation by an endearing cast, including Peter Carroll, Lisa McCune and Zahra Newman, who deliver captivating personalities, in a show that is otherwise fairly resistant of our need to identify with its people and situations. Sublime singing from the likes of Callum Francis, Elizabeth Hay and Christina O’Neill pull us in, so that we can regard the heart and soul of these artistic renderings, at close proximation.

There are many moments of theatrical magic in Girl from the North Country, but there are also many instances where it leaves us unexpectedly cold. It includes an abundance of exquisite elements that amount to something best described as mellow. One would not be surprised to discover that the songs connect more than the stories do, in a work that stands most importantly, as a tribute to the legend that is Bob Dylan.

www.northcountry.com.au